Subject: REVIEW: Microcosm CD32
From: [email-masked] (Aad Nieuwmans)
Date: 27 Mar 1994 23:00:50 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAME

	Microcosm CD32

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

	MicroCosm is a shoot-em-up game for the CD32.

AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

	Name:		Psygnosis Ltd.
	Address:	South Harrington Building
			Sefton Street, Liverpool L3 4BQ
			England

	Telephone:	+44 51 709 5755

LIST PRICE

	129.00 (Dutch Guilders) for the Limited Edition, which comes with an
audio CD (Psygnosis Soundtrax Vol.1) and a T-shirt of MicroCosm.

	99.00 (Dutch Guilders) for the normal edition.

SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

	HARDWARE

		A CD32.

	SOFTWARE

		None.

COPY PROTECTION

	??

MACHINE USED FOR TESTING

	Amiga CD32

INSTALLATION

	None.

REVIEW

	The game is based on the movie Inner Space, where a miniature
spacecraft is travelling through the body of a human.

INTRO

	The Intro is most fascinating and extremely cleverly done.  As we go
to the Cyber*Tech corporation, we get a 3D look at the city and see some
common vehicles run by.  The next step is on top of the building where
security agents are waiting for the transport to arrive.  Incredible
graphics and stunning action give you the impression that you are looking at
a movie instead of a video game.

GAME

	The game starts in a vein.  The craft you're steering is simply
drawn.  The vein itself is very nicely done, like plasma.  On our way to the
control center we meet some body-habitants, which we must shoot down.

	With the help of a map (warning, the map is shown, but the action
will continue as you read it), we can determine our way out.  Different
weapons can be selected, but there's no noticeable clue on the screen!

	Shooting at those weird-looking objects at a rapid speed seems to be
the task here.  There's some interaction; for example, when a vein splits in
two we can actually choose to go right or left.  When completing the first
(still intro) level, you'll get the chance to enter at different locations,
e.g., left brain or right brain.  This will only show other aircrafts and
other vein-graphics.  The graphics in between all the action are superb.

	Although the gameplay is very difficult (you could be dead in
seconds), continuing the game to see some other levels is done some five
times.  Maybe there's more to come...

DOCUMENTATION

	Good.  Normal explanation of the world and vehicles. The parts of
the body you can enter are described.

LIKES AND DISLIKES

	I like the Intro very much, and the animations shown throughout the
game.  They show what a machine the CD32 really is.

	The game however is not so exciting as I thought it would be.  If the
Intro shows so many nice/neat animations, then the game itself could be
better.

	It would be best if this product had improved gameplay and maybe
some improvement on the interactivity, controlling the ship better.

	The most annoying part is the loading disk at the screen, so the
animation simply stopped or started.

BUGS

	None.

CONCLUSIONS

	Good.

	It's definitely a must-be-in-my-collection game.  Although the
gameplay isn't that exciting at all, the intro and animation make it all
better.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

	This review is freely distributable.

Aad Nieuwmans ([email-masked])
-Via PDQMail @ 2:281/510.0 (primary default address)
-Via DDDGate @ 2:281/510.0  DDDGate 1.42 (30.09.93)

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